Mimicry
by I am a Band Nerd
Summary: Ch. 1: As Ashlyn struggled to adapt to having Transformers in her life, Sarah plotted her revenge on Epps when he dared to enter the kitchen. A collection of one-shots exploring the character development of my OCs.


A/N: So, it's been a while—five years—and I've decided to give writing fanfics another try. I've been around though, reading, and I've discovered _Merlin_ reveal fics. Yet I have returned to the _Transformers _movie area since I can't seem to accept the movie plots (I have officially rejected their "reality and substituted my own." Don't ask for details 'cause I don't them, and brownie points for those who know the quote!). I really hated the movies, and the only good thing about them was the CGI. I may not write a lot to be perfectly honest, and if I do they will mostly be one-shots since I may butcher a story if I try to write one, but I do have plans for one story. But this one came to me the other night when my dad made a comment on his own cooking . . . yeah. . . he has a bit of an ego. I own nothing except my OC's (Mimic/Michael McCurry and Ashlyn Dawson) and the plot bunny. ;-) Enjoy!

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**Kitchen Dare**

The smell of barbecue filled the kitchen and wafted down the hallways attracting many a hungry man alike. Yet few men would dare enter the kitchen and face the wrath of the women inside, and those that would, well, let's just say they weren't the brightest of the bunch.

One particular dull light bulb was Robert Epps, that's not to say he was stupid—far from it—but his stomach overrode any warning signals his brain may have produced. The Chief Master Sergeant stealthily crept to the kitchen door and peeked around the corner with his back to the wall. He took the time to appreciate the room scattered with cooking paraphernalia, his wife, and the food left to cool. Wetting his lips in anticipation, he formulated a plan to sneak a piece or two of the shredded pork without causing the wrath of Hell to rain down on him.

Just as he was about to execute plan 'Steal the Pig' his wife called out, "Whatever you're thinking: don't." A stream of giggles reached his ears, and, sighing in defeat, the 'Master of Stealth' raised his hands in surrender as he stepped into the kitchen.

"How'd you know?"

Monique quirked an eyebrow over her shoulder, "It's pork."

_Point,_ but he wasn't about to tell her that. He crossed his arms, waiting for her to come clean. His wife copied his position and leaned on the kitchen counter after she replaced the dish towel.

"Fred told Sideswipe, who told me," Monique adopted a smug look as Epps started muttering about traitorous sons, and eyeing the 'innocent' smart phone in her pocket.

"If you want to sample, you may, but no more than a bite." The male in the kitchen sent a heartwarming smile to the lovely, British woman and thanked his lucky stars for her kindness.

"Why thank you, Carly." Epps gingerly and conspicuously took a pinch of pork from the tray and plopped it into his mouth. The airman smiled in appreciation as he savored the flavor.

"That'll taste good on a chrome bumper!" He failed to notice the evil glint in the eyes of his best friend's wife.

A smile formed on Sarah's face as her plan revealed itself. It was cruel. It was evil. But it was worth it since she was still furious over the aptly dubbed 'Sparkle Fiasco.' Let's just say that Epps failed to explain to the babysitter, Bluestreak, who was watching Epps' five kids and Annabelle, with the girls going through a phase, that glitter was _not_ necessary and that it did _not_ need to go on everything.

The base was still shiny.

How the group managed to obtain that much pink glitter was still a mystery to the blonde, but since Wheeljack was involved no explanation was needed.

Sarah took on an air of mischievousness and casually walked over to Epps who was still eyeing the pork. As soon as Epps saw the gentle smile on her face, he knew that trouble was brewing.

"How willing are you to test that theory?"

Yep. Definitely trouble.

Epps looked at Sarah with trepidation and asked, "Depends."

Her smile turned into a grin. "We will give you," she motioned to herself and the three ladies with her, "free access to the kitchen when we cook."

_Damn. Can't back down now._

The military man, trained in the art of warfare and weapons, stood tall and proud, "What do you have in mind?"

Pointing to the man she said, "You will 'spill,'" she air quoted, "some barbeque on Ironhide's alt form then eat it in front of everybody."

The four ladies couldn't resist snickering as Epps' eyes bugged out, "Why Ironhide?" He's been through Hell and back multiple times since he's been with the Autobots, and he wasn't afraid of a little dirt but _Ironhide_? While nothing can beat the wrath of the women, Ironhide came in a close second, tying with Ratchet.

_Ratchet._ Epps turned pale, _If he sees, I will be subjected to his probing._

Weighing his options and watching the evil smiles Epps asked one final question, "For how long?"

Sarah tilted her head from side-to-side, "How does a year sound? That way you will get the Holidays."

_Well, I'm screwed._ He stuck his hand out, "Deal."

Sarah sealed the bargain with a firm handshake, "Now beat it, we still have things to do."

Needless to say Epps followed her orders and quickly joined the party outside contemplating and theorizing his deal and his demise. Once satisfied that Epps was no longer in the building, Sarah returned to her task of collecting utensils.

"He's going to lose."

Carly eyed Monique, "Way to have faith in your man there, love." Her reply was only a shrug.

"Wasn't that a bit harsh?" All three women looked over to the speaker who was quiet during the ordeal. The younger woman, who was still fairly new to the whole 'giant, alien beings,' or in her case not giant, making their home and war on Earth, had a confused look on her face.

From the few months Ashlyn had been involved with the Autobots, Sarah quickly realized how out of her depth Ashlyn really was. The brunette was down to Earth and had a bit of a no-nonsense attitude, and discovering that her fiancé was actually a _Cybertronian_, a _pretender_, well, she had a bit of a breakdown. It took months of talking and listening for her and Mimic to find a way to salvage their relationship, and the two still had a long way to go before they reached the level that their relationship once had. Sarah, Carly and Monique had been there for the heartbroken girl every step of the way forming a strong bond among the four. Even now with such a bond, Ashlyn still hadn't gotten used to the abuse the three can dish out if they were crossed.

A sincere look appeared on Sarah's face and replied with an equally sincere voice, "Perhaps, but I'm still cross with him, and he didn't have to do it. But he accepted the deal since he knows that nothing bad would happen to him, he _trusts_ them even off the battlefield."

Ashlyn nodded in acceptance but was still hesitant to the whole situation since she hadn't been around the entire group of Autobots for very long. Only Mimic, Ratchet and Optimus Prime were her Cybertronian exposure during the first few months after Mimic's accident and reveal.

Deciding that a distraction was in order so that the young adult absorbed Sarah's words, Monique asked, "Ready to head out?"

Each woman nodded and filled their arms as much as they could trying to make as few trips as possible, but considering how many mouths they had to feed, including the Autobots who had holoforms that could now digest food thanks to Mimic and Wheeljack, they had no choice but to make more than one trip.

A refreshing breeze greeted the women each time they left the building which was designed as an R&R place for the Cybertronians and their closest human allies and friends. The main building was large enough for the Transformers to live and move comfortably which included a science lab, a medical bay, and a recreational area. Another building attached to the first was much smaller, designed for the humans to be in close contact but separate from their Cybertronian counterparts. Even after years of intimate interaction both human and Cybertronian alike can be exhausted by the other species.

After recruiting a bit of help from some of the males and masculine-identifiers, all the food was placed on connecting tables in a buffet style. The food was eaten with lively conversations concerning the past year, the news, and the weather. Several groups emerged containing both human and holoforms, and many laughs resounded through the evening air over the new foods the transformers tried.

Ashlyn had sat herself in a folding chair with Mimic sitting in one next to her after the two fixed their plates. The pretender was in his Michael McCurry disguise dressed in loose jeans and a button down shirt; Ashlyn couldn't help but smile at how he actually had to buy clothes and shoes just like a human did since he was injured before his arrival to the planet. The program for controlling the nanites could easily be fixed since he joined the Autobots, but he had gotten too used to the feeling of clothes and didn't mind shopping for them. Of course, Ashlyn and Ratchet were sworn to secrecy about his interest in shopping, and when anybody brought the issue up Mimic replied that he didn't want to waste the resources.

"What?" Brought out of her memory Ashlyn blinked back into the present and saw Mimic was watching her, "What?"

An amused smile reached his lips, "I asked you first."

Shaking her head at his childlike response Ashlyn popped a chip in her mouth just to avoid answering (and to get her thoughts together) which she knew annoyed him. True to nature Mimic puckered his lips, waiting and hoping she would answer.

"Just amusing myself on how you wear clothes," she replied with quite a bit of cheek. Mimic furrowed his brows and looked down at himself checking to make sure he had his clothes on right (it wouldn't have been the first time if they weren't) before coming to the party. He gave an unimpressed glance at his fiancée before giving the plate in front of him his undivided attention.

Laughing at his antics Ashlyn couldn't help but wonder why he was even in his disguise. It's not like she didn't like it for the disguise he programmed was quite handsome (then again most Transformers designed attractive holoforms), but Mimic didn't have to hide his metal body given the privacy and isolation of the buildings and the company they were in, and Ashlyn told him as much.

"I guess I just didn't want to be the 'odd man out,' and I'm glad you're concerned about it," a gentle smile graced his features. It took weeks for Ashlyn to acclimate to his real form, and even now she still sometimes hesitates seeing the real him and the bipedal forms of the larger Cybertronians. It hadn't helped at all when Mimic openly admitted to never wanting to tell her the truth when she asked him about it, but the fact that Ashlyn stayed (after a brief shunning and isolation period) warmed his spark and made him love her all the more.

Ashlyn returned his smile without hesitation, and a comfortable silence descended on the two as they ate. Unbeknownst to Ashlyn, their conversation was observed by Optimus and Ratchet. The two older mechs knew how stressful the situation was for both the couple and the people involved. While Optimus had no qualms about the relationship (unlike others), Ratchet was still wary of the woman and her mental stability. Knowing to just leave the two alone for the evening, Optimus sent a positive message to the pretender who returned the comment with a smile. It had been a long war, and nobody should be denied at their chance of finding love.

Taking his new found confidence, Mimic questioned Ashlyn about her day. "Not much really, I picked up the last of the food on my way here and changed out of my booty shorts and tank top for something more appropriate."

Glancing at her attire up and down he smirked, "Yes, well, that blouse does look nice on you."

A pretty blush appeared on her freckled nose as she replied, "I should hope so since you're the one who picked it out."

"Well, that's because you have no fashion since."

"Or you just have a passion for it," smirking at the hinting of his secret, Ashlyn quickly left the premises to throw away her trash before Mimic could retort but also aware that she may pay for that comment later. The graduate student reflected on how easy it was to banter with Mimic after everything that had happened and how relaxed she can get once she forgets who and what he really was.

_No,_ she realized,_ I can never forget who he is or what for that matter, I just try to pretend that everything is okay._ Shaking herself from the dangerous thoughts that could lead her to another breakdown, she made her way over to Sarah who was playing with Annabelle.

Sarah greeted her as she sat down before returning her attention to the child's drawing of her Autobot family. It's true that those pictures would never leave the property, but it was endearing how the third grader had most of the alien allies wrapped around her finger. She smiled at the thought of the other children on the property and how the Cybertronians acted towards them. It was enlightening to her on how precious children were especially since she knew that without the Allspark the Cybertronian race would be extinct.

Quickly shaking off the prospect of children and how she would never have any due to Mimic's physique, Ashlyn turned to Sarah. With Curiosity killing her inner cat about the incident in the kitchen earlier, Ashlyn asked, "So, when is he going to do it?"

Sarah glanced around her before answering, "Soon." Ashlyn nodded before returning her gaze to the blonde child who had ran off to show Ironhide her drawing of him. The child was praised and hugged and was shooed off to back to her mother for her dessert. Sarah watched Ashlyn with pride on how far the young woman had come, "How're you doing tonight?"

The brunette immediately knew what the older woman was referring and wished not to have this conversation, but she knew it would be better to do it face to face since they had no idea when they would see one another again. Her leg started bouncing violently to release some of the pent up energy her building anxiety was producing. "Good, I think. I find myself forgetting (or pretending, not sure which yet) about all this, and I still feel like a hypocrite, but I would like to believe I'm getting better with each day I'm with 'Mic and the others," she shuffled her feet a bit. "I'm still afraid and scared of it all, but not of them anymore, only in the fact of how he and I will be forced away with my mortality, or him by the Decepticons, or the bloody, stupid government, or other Cybertronians, or—"

A motherly hand stopped her rambling the moment it touched her shoulder, and Sarah forced the girl to look at her, "I know that there are still many trials for the two of you, and you need to stop fretting over every single detail. While being meticulous can be a good thing, you over analyze everything and stress yourself out so much that it is not healthy." A reassuring smile crossed her face, "Medical school is definitely not helping your and 'Mic's situation either, and I'm proud that you try even with everything you need to do to pass your classes, but, please, breathe. It's the summer, and you need to take a chill pill, and I'm sure Ratchet can prescribe you something."

Sarah felt relieved at the laugh from Ashlyn, "I would love some alcohol right about now, just a couple drinks and I'm as chill as a sea turtle." Ashlyn stopped and blushed at what she just said, "You get me talking, and I just don't shut up."

A laugh escaped the lips of the woman next to her, "You really need to do so more often, or else people might start worrying over your mental health. I already know Ratchet is concerned for your well being, but that's Ratchet for you."

"Give me a little more time, and I probably will. With 'Mic I was very talkative, and I loved the banter we had going," Ashlyn murmured the last bit to her worn tennis shoes, and Sarah had to lean in to catch the words said.

"Why don't you try to start it up again?" It seemed like the most obvious way to reconcile the two further.

Ashlyn shrugged, "I'm afraid to say something offensive or that it could ruin what we have."

Sarah sighed at her oblivious- and stubbornness, "Ashlyn, he has not changed. I know that was one of the bigger issues you had since his adult frame is designed for infiltration purposes and adaptation to the environment around him, but you can't let that irrational fear stop you from trying to build that broken bridge. Hell, your relationship with him should be better now that everything is out in the open." Sarah eyed the brunette, "Unless you have some deep, dark secret that consists of overthrowing the government because of crackpot relatives."

Ashlyn wasn't sure what it was, probably the way Sarah said it, but she couldn't help bust out laughing, "Crackpot is right, but I doubt my redneck relatives are even smart enough to find toilet paper in their own house, much less plot a coup."

Nudging the younger woman to get up, she said, "Go. Be brave and daring. Just for tonight. You two have nothing left to lose, and go snag a beer while you're at it to loosen you up a bit."

Standing up to avoid a bruise from Sarah's shoulder, Ashlyn took Sarah's advice to heart and went straight for the alcohol. Promising herself to just have one, she hoped the selection was good. Reaching the coolers she picked out a heavy, craft beer, avoiding the look Lennox and his group was giving her.

"Should we be worried?" Giving the Major a withering look, she popped off the cap and took a swig.

"Probably, since I'm following your wife's advice."

Faking a horrified look Lennox replied, "Uh-oh that is definitely not good." Laughing with the group Ashlyn nodded in agreement trying not to cringe at the burning sensation down her throat.

"I'll be sure to tell her that."

"Whoa, now. I do not want to be sleeping on the couch."

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll understand how concerned you were for my well being," smirking as she backed away, Ashlyn saluted the soldiers with two fingers. While returning to her original seat by Mimic she was reminded of his true nature by the way the metal chair had been dented under his weight when he sat. To avoid looking at the chair she observed the scientist and cop as he leaned back with his hands behind his head. Taking another sip she plopped down next to him who made no indication to her presence until he spoke.

"The world must be ending if you're drinking."

Nudging his foot she replied, "Only if you consider Mrs. Lennox's advice the prediction of one then yes."

Mimic cracked open an eyelid and watched her fidget with the peeling label. He had heard the conversation between the two women, and the fake human hoped that his fiancé was getting her nerves loosened up from their taunt position. Looking over to him she offered up her beer to him.

"I'm not drinking all of it."

"No, but you should at least drink half," he grabbed it and took a swig himself. "Don't worry, one of these days I'll teach you how to hold your liquor."

An un-lady like snort was his answer before she took another sip, "I would say good luck, but since I'm the victim . . ." Another swig.

"GET THAT SLAG OFF ME!" Both heads snapped in the direction of the alt. forms. A clicking sound followed by whirls and hissing hydraulics signaled Ironhide's transformation sequence, and a pale Epps sprinted out from the collection of vehicles. It was amazing to see how fast a person can run when their adrenaline kicks in. Epps headed for the human R&R building cutting through the dinner area with the wrath of a weapon specialist on his heels. Ironhide (surprisingly) nimbly stepped around the groups to grab Epps before he made it to the building.

Ashlyn watched the entire scene with her own adrenaline kicking in; grabbing Mimic's hand she held on to it like it was her life line. Mimic watched her carefully, measuring her heart rate and respiration. She gasped when Ironhide had grabbed Epps and started yelling at how much of a punk he was. Linking his fingers with hers he squeezed gently. Reluctantly looking away from Epps' pleading and the boisterous laughter from the spectators, she had a wide eyed look when she turned to him.

Picking up his deformed chair to get closer to her, the pretender freed his hand to wrap it around her shoulder. Mimic began to rub her upper back and leg murmuring, "It's alright, Ash."

"I know," she snapped taking in deep breaths to calm herself, cursing what was left of her PTSD from when the destruction of Savannah occurred leading to Ashlyn's meeting of the Autobots. She was all too glad to be able to sleep again and concentrate on her studies despite taking a semester off due to her anxiety disorder.

Both watched Ironhide fold back down to his monstrous alt. form, activate his holoform, and drag Epps to the bigger building to grab a bucket and cloth. Turning her gaze to the person who started the whole fiasco, Ashlyn saw Sarah smirking in triumph, although the younger woman wasn't sure if the blonde was happy that she won the dare or she was just enjoying Epps' embarrassment. The two returned and Ironhide meticulously watched Epps scrub down his alt. form but was distracted by Optimus saying something to the mech, and Epps took full advantage by turning the hose to the holoform. A loud growl escaped the fake human's throat who gave full chase after the fleeing Epps.

A giggle escaped Ashlyn's mouth before a full blown laugh developed shaking her entire frame. Many turned to look at her loudness, half of them glad at her reaction and the other worried that her mental state had broken. Even her fiancée was giving her a questioning look, "You okay?"

Her hand waved away his response, taking a few moments to control herself and replied, "Yes. I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it."

An encouraging smile replaced his worried face; his grin grew even wider when she placed her head on his shoulder, "I'm fine. I promise."

A girly scream resounded through the evening air reminding the couple that the chase was still on. The two had zigzagged through the crowd before Epps was tackled by the gruff mech. Epps was dragged away, pleading for his life and for mercy, but his cries were ignored. Sarah stepped into their path before bending over to whisper something in Epps' ear, he shook his head slowly in reply. A smug smile appeared on her face as she turned away leaving Epps' to Ironhide's mercy and left to grab her daughter for a bath and bed. Monique followed her best friend once she rounded up her five children.

Patting her hand on Mimic's thigh, "I'm going to go help Carly clean up."

Nodding in reply he watched her walk away, greeting Carly with the biggest smile he has yet seen on her face since the battle at the end of last year. The two women chatted eagerly, and Mimic noticed the happiness on Carly's face due to Ashlyn's willingness to discuss that night's events.

Mimic looked down at the half finished beer bottle as he contemplated his time spent with Ashlyn, and was ecstatic at how she had changed since he had met her. The once reclusive undergraduate had opened her heart and mind to him to become talkative and playful like she was with her immediate family. Now she was becoming more like herself with not only him but with all the people, both human and Cybertronian alike, she had met. Not to mention how much he had changed as well.

Once he had finished his beer Mimic helped pack up chairs and tables as twilight dwindled down into a pleasant night. Once everything was put away many soldiers left with some of the Transformers for the drive back to their respective bases. Deciding that the dishes could wait until tomorrow, most of the people that were headed for bed bide their friends a goodnight.

Mimic found Ashlyn as he returned from placing the last of the chairs in the human storage closet. The young woman was leaning against the wall beside her door and was looking out the window across from her. Not wanting to startle her he loudly approached, watching how she turned and greeted him with a small smile.

"Stay with me tonight?" Mimic could count on two hands how many times she'd asked him to do that since the Savannah incident. The pretender smiled and nodded, reaching past her to open the door to her room he was stopped by her hand on his wrist, "Dismiss the disguise, please."

He did so without question, and Ashlyn watched in awe as the near microscopic squares rippled away and folded back to reveal his dark green armor. The pretender watched her carefully to make sure she wasn't having another panic attack, "You alright?"

Ashlyn nodded confidently, "Yea, I just know I won't sleep tonight after what happened this evening, and I wanted you to keep me company."

As selfish and demanding as that sounded he understood that she needed to talk and reaffirm what she had learned over the past few months she had stayed on the property. With both the Lennox and the Epps family leaving at O'Dark-Thirty tomorrow with Ironhide and Bluestreak as their respective guardians, there would be few humans around to fall back on. Carly, Sam, and Bumblebee would leave at the end of the week to resume their jobs back in D.C. with Lennox as their partner once his family was back home.

The couple entered the room with Ashlyn retreating to the bathroom to ready for bed and Mimic removing his clothing and shoes since they caught in the angles of his armor. He folded them neatly on the floor with the shoes beside them and settled himself in the corner of her bed with his back to wall, removing any pillows that caught in his gears. Ashlyn soon emerged clad in an old tank top and athletic shorts; she turned out the lights, climbed onto the bed and settled herself next to Mimic hugging a pillow to her chest.

Nothing was said for the first half hour, it wasn't until the bed started shaking due to Ashlyn bouncing her leg that she started talking. Anything and everything came rushing out so fast that most would have to ask her to repeat what she had just said. But not Mimic. He just sat and listened. Whenever she stopped he talked about what she had said, and when he stopped she found another topic to discuss. Many of what was said that night had been repeated numerous times over the last few months: moments of time where fighting and tears erupted for the smallest of reasons, cultural learning and observation, fears over stupid reasons and logical reasons, hopes for the future.

It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning rolled by that silence took precedence in the room. Mimic didn't dare move for fear of waking the woman using his shoulder as a pillow that and he would have to find someway to disentangle their linked hands. Sending a text message to Carly to let her know that he didn't want anybody disturbing Ashlyn's or his rest until they were ready to face the day, he activated his recharge program with more hope added to his spark.

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A/N: Well, that certainly didn't turn out like I was expecting it to. . . hope y'all don't mind. *Looks left. Looks right. Shrugs* I originally meant to just let this be a funny fic and kind of introduce my two OCs since I don't have them flushed out just quite yet, but I went into much further depth than I was expecting. Not that I care, but I hoped it didn't detract from the story, although I think the story somehow focused on them with the intro just being an intro instead of the theme. Oh, well, I'm really happy with this piece since it's been forever since I tried writing. Can I do better? Of course. Is it betaed? Obviously not. Would I like one? I would grovel at your feet if you offered. Lol. But I did use a grammar and spell check sample from the internet. Did it do any good? A little clean up of verb usage and wordy stuff. Any and all criticism is welcomed, even the rude ones since I will find a way to make it positive. *Gives two thumbs up*

I will probably edit this chapter once I have my two OCs flushed out. I posted this mainly to test the waters of my writing and to see what kind of feed back I can get. How much will it be edited? I have no clue, I may scratch the entire thing, or change the dialogue, or add scenes. Even I'm not sure how this will change, but I am mainly writing this fic as a challenge to myself on movie-verse pretenders, their jobs before and during the war, and how Mimic adapted to living on Earth (which would be easier for him than the Autobots 'cause that's what his frame was designed for). These one-shots will just be about my OCs coming to life with y'all's feed back as help. Like I said, I will take my time in editing and adjusting my chapters and OCs (which will be difficult for me since I am a bit of an impatient person). Have a good weekend!

Thank you for reading and please drop a review (even if it is just a smiley face ;-D ). Lots of love!

Band Nerd


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